Directionally challenged team arrives safely

After arriving at the airport at Belize at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, the Belize team, reveling in the 85-degree air, rented a van and car. Chuck and Dan drove the car north to Corzol to meet with representatives of 13 Presbyterian churches that have grammar schools. Their mission is to determine whether the churches are interested in arranging for the FPCOR team to install Living Waters for the World systems to provide clean drinking water. Meanwhile, on this beautiful sunny day, Hannah drove the van on a long Sunday afternoon drive all over Belize. Sitting in the front seat, Caleb had the job of warning her about upcoming speed bumps. Anne, Dale, Hannah, and Mary tried to remember the location of the turn that would get us on the unmarked Western Highway. As a result of wrong guesses, we ended up going the wrong way and ended up in Belize City, much to the delight of rookies Caleb, Carolyn, and Teresa. The latter two were excited about the Rotary signs. Once we turned at a cell tower, we were on the right road. We saw lots of flat land with grass and scrub. Occasionally we saw rundown shacks and abandoned cars that made us homesick for Clinton Highway--for a few seconds. After we passed Belmopan, we stopped at Cheers at 2:30 and ate tamales, burritos, and hamburgers. Eventually we saw the Maya Mountains and lots of pine and palm trees and an orange grove. We passed through Armenia and saw the school. By 4:30 we ended up at Jaguar Creek deep in the jungle. Along the way we saw horses, hawks, free-range chickens, a large iguana, orchard orioles, a tarantula, and the top of the food chain--the mosquito. We had a delicious dinner and did our devotionals, making up for cutting church in the morning. During orientation, when our roof was occasionally bombed by dropping figs, we were told that we might hear howling monkeys at night. One pleasant surprise was meeting another group of Tennesseans staying at Jaguar Creek--from Roane State. They made banana pudding that we ate for dessert before the monkeys could get it. Now, that's something they could howl about.